Shloka 13
सभा पर्व, अध्याय ३७ — युधिष्ठिरस्य भीष्मोपदेशः
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Consultation and Bhīṣma’s Counsel in the Assembly
द्रुमं किम्पुरुषाचार्यमतिक्रम्य तथार्चित: । भीष्मके चैव दुर्धर्षे पाण्डुवत् कृतलक्षणे,पुरुषप्रवर राजाधिराज दुर्योधन और भरतवंशके आचार्य महात्मा कृपके रहते हुए तुमने कृष्णकी पूजाका औचित्य कैसे स्वीकार किया? तुमने किम्पुरुषोंके आचार्य ट्रुमका उल्लंघन करके कृष्णकी अग्रपूजा क्यों की? पाण्डुके समान दुर्धर्ष वीर तथा राजोचित शुभ- लक्षणोंसे सम्पन्न भीष्मक, राजा रुक्मी और उसी प्रकार श्रेष्ठ धनुर्धर एकलव्य तथा मद्रराज शल्यके रहते हुए तुम्हारे द्वारा कृष्णकी पूजा किस दृष्टिसे की गयी?
drumaṁ kimpuruṣācāryam atikramya tathārcitaḥ | bhīṣmake caiva durdharṣe pāṇḍuvat kṛtalakṣaṇe ||
Śiśupāla said: “How could you deem it proper to honor Kṛṣṇa with foremost worship, bypassing Druma, the preceptor of the Kiṁpuruṣas? And when the formidable Bhīṣmaka—endowed with auspicious, kingly marks like Pāṇḍu—was present, by what reasoning was this worship of Kṛṣṇa performed?”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical tension between worldly hierarchies (seniority, rank, renowned kings) and the claim of exceptional worthiness. It shows how disputes over honor can become moral arguments about what counts as legitimate authority—birth, power, reputation, or intrinsic excellence.
During the assembly context where Kṛṣṇa is being accorded special honor, Śiśupāla objects. He challenges the decision to worship Kṛṣṇa first, arguing that other venerable or formidable figures (such as Druma and Bhīṣmaka) were present and should not have been bypassed.